oberly



.4 (No Model.) 'l 7 V. H. OBERLY.

GARMENT FASTENER. I l

7 Patented Aug. 29,- l1893.

' @Womad/5 UNITED STATES PATENT Orifice.

VIRGINIA H. OBERLY, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

GARM E`NT`FASTEN ER.

A SPECIFICATION forming part of Letteyrsvlatent No. 503,980, datedAugust 29, 1893.

Application filed October 13, 1892. Serial No. 448.745. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VIRGINIA H. OBERLY, at present residing at the cityof Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new anduseful Clasp or Fastening Adapted for Fastening Garments and forA otherFastening Purposes, of which the following is a specification. 1

My clasp or fastening is made of a single piece of plate metal, or ofother suitable material, peculiarly bent and folded. One of the purposesfor which it is intended is as a front fastening for corsets, but it hasmany other uses.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating it detached, and also in itsapplication to a corset: Figure 1, is a front view of part of a corsetfastened, showing several of my clasps or fastenings in place as in use,in connection with a pair of front steels or staysinclosed in casings.Fig. 2, is a bottom perspective View of my clasp or fastening, detached.Fig. 3, shows a blank, whichr'nay be stamped out of a sheet of metal atone operation, suitable for making my clasp or fastening. Fig. 4, showsa modified form of catch, and Fig. 5, illustrates the saine with a beveledge for convenience in fastening and unfastening the clasp. Fig. 6 is aside elevation of my clasp.

Referring to the letters on the drawings, A, A', indicate the casings ofthe steels or stays.

l5, Fig. 1, indicates several of my clasps or fastenings in place as inuse when the corset is fastened in front on the body of the wearer.

O, C', indicate front steels or stays within their casings, parts of thecasings being torn away for the purpose of exposingthem in place.

D, indicates the main central portion of the clasp or fastening, andthebands or folds at its ends are mere continuations of it, requiring nocutting or stamping out of any part of the blank.

E, indicates what I will call the fixed end of the clasp or fastening,because it is to be applied With a degree of permanency to a steel orstay.

F, indicates the free end of the clasp or fastening.

j', indicates the hook at this free end, adapted to hook around theinside edge of a steel or stay.

The fixed end E, of the clasp should be provided with a suitable catchas for example a hook e. This hook is formed by Iirst bending the blankat e', so that the part e2, passes across the space for the steel orstay, and is bent again at e3 to form the hook e. ,Thus it willbe seenthat the fixed end of the clasp completely enfolds one steel or stay onall sides. It is this complete enfolding or enveloping of the steel thatenables me to readily attach or detach the clasp from the garmentwithout removing the steel or stay and withoutbending back the hook e.

G, G, indicate openings in a garmentleading into or under the casings A,A.

It will be observed that hook e, is adapted to clasp around the outeredge of one of the steels or stays. In practice such steel or stay ismade to move freely in the opening for it through the fixed end of theclasp. Therefore, it is very easy to press the clasp so that lthe hooke, will be disengaged from the edge of the steel or stay, when bytilting the clasp or steel a little, the hook will move out ofengagement and the clasp will slide laterally o from the steel, so thatit is but the work lof a moment to detach it. It can be attached bysimply sliding the hook e, and the part e2, under the steel or stay, andengaging the hook with its outer edge. When the clasp is fastened toboth steels, the strain upon it keeps it firmly in position, and when itis released it cannot come off of itself, because the part e2, claspsthe steel or stay and prevents it from unfastening, but it can readilybe detached from the steel or stay in the manner above described.

The catch e, may be formed as shown in Fig. 4, in which shape it may bereadily adj usted in practice or its adjustment may be facilitated bymaking it with a bevel as illustrated in Fig. 5, at k. This bevelenables the steel to easily enter under the catch 1e, in attaching anddetaching the clasp. Y

When a clasp is made from a single piece of metal with the bends andfolds described, it has the capacity, on account of its structure, ofbeing attached or'detached, which no other form of clasp that I am awareof has. The bend at e', will always yield a little under the slightprying strain applied to release the hook e, and the'part e2, whichconnects the bend with the hook e, communicates the movement to the hooke, which releases it. But in the absence of that prying strainespecially applied to remove the clasp, when the steel or stay is inplace, the fold e', and the part e2 keep the hook e, to its placesecurely.

When the clasp is attached at its fixed end to a front steel or stay ofa corset, or other garment, it has all the characteristics of apermanent fastening, being held firmly in place, but itis easilydetachable from the steel or stay, or casingto which it is attached, andfrom the garment, dac., and can be replaced, or another clasp orfastening of the same kind can be put into its place readily withoutriveting, clamping, or sewing. The clasp or fastening can be put on ortaken oi even while on the person of the wearer Without removing thesteel or stay, and without cutting, ripping, or sewing: and when it isused, the front steels or stays of a corset can be removed and replacedeven While the garment is on the body of the wearer without removing theclasps or fastenings, and Without cntting, ripping, or sewing.

All these advantages,and others not specified, may be gained by thewearer of corsets, in the use of my clasp or fastening, which may beused also as a fastening of other garments, as bodices, cloaks, ac., andof neckties, gloves, wristlets, &c.

1. A detachable clasp or fastening formed of one piece of metalcomprising the body part D, hook f, at one end, and the enfolding parte2, and catch e, at the other end, snbstantially as set forth.

2. A detachable clasp or fastening formed of one piece of metalcomprising the body part D, hookf, at one end,and the enfolding part e2and catch e, at the other end, said catch being provided with abevcl7c,snbstantially as set forth. I

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

VIRGINIA H. OBERLY.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. OBERLY, JOSEPH L. ATKINs.

